If you struggle with symptoms of the menopause such as hot flashes you are not alone. Symptoms due to changes in women’s hormone levels can make you feel like you’re going crazy. Most women have at least some symptoms at this time. But, for up to 20% of women these symptoms are very distressing. Symptoms during […]
acupuncture
How to prevent migraines during pregnancy
The good news is that more than half of women report improvements in their migraines during pregnancy. Unfortunately, you won’t know if you are one of the lucky ones until you’re pregnant. Since migraine medication can be harmful to an unborn child, ideally it should be avoided in pregnancy. Yet, being without your migraine medications […]
Can acupuncture improve acne?
This 2018 review discusses the treatment of acne vulgaris, usually known as acne. Comparing acupuncture with conventional drug treatments, for this common, chronic skin condition. What causes acne? Researchers believe that four main factors influence acne formation: follicular keratinisation, in which cells lining the hair follicles, instead of being shed onto the skin’s surface, clump […]
Is acupuncture without needles effective?
Acupuncture without needles? How is that possible, you might ask. Well there are many different types of acupuncture. So, in my practice, whilst I offer traditional Chinese Medicine acupuncture I am also aware that many people are put off from trying acupuncture due to a needle phobia. For this reason, for some time I have […]
Complementary therapies for chronic neck pain
This is the fourth and last article in this series of articles about complementary therapies for chronic pain. The series is mostly based on the British Medical Journal article that discusses the available scientific evidence for various therapies including acupuncture, herbal medicine, cupping, and mind-body techniques. This particular article will focus on therapies for neck […]
Which therapies work for low back pain?
This is the third article in a series of posts about complementary therapies for chronic pain conditions. See the research in this review in the British Medical Journal. Read the first two posts of the series here:Which therapies for chronic pain?Which therapy – chronic pain and rheumatoid arthritis This third article is about the efficacy of complementary […]
Which therapy – chronic pain and rheumatoid arthritis
This is the second post in a series of posts about the potential benefits of complementary therapies for people living with chronic pain. In case you missed it, you can find the first post here. This post focuses on research related to several complementary therapies and rheumatoid arthritis. As reported in a review article in […]
Which therapies for chronic pain?
Chronic pain is a leading reason that people will use complementary therapies. As an acupuncturist and medical herbalist people living with pain often seek my help. Commonly expressing a desire to reduce pain-relieving medications. Especially in relation to any side effects that they might experience. Yet, how can you choose a complementary therapy to help […]
How to manage stress
Are you feeling the effects of stress? Do you feel like you’re just not going to cope if just one more thing happens? And then it does! Well, read on… because I have a few tips to help get you through. A little bit of stress is actually good for us, but too much can […]
8 natural alternatives to NSAIDs
NSAIDs or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are back in the news. A British Medical Journal article says all NSAIDs increase heart attack risk. The report also states that the risk is highest in the first month of use and higher doses. Of course, the danger for an individual may be small. Yet, it is still bad news […]
Natural methods to reduce the frequency of migraines
If you suffer with chronic migraines your doctor may offer you medication. The problem is the medication does not always help. Or, it may have side effects that prevent you from taking it. This post talks about some natural methods to reduce the frequency of migraines. Migraine headaches affect about 12% of people in the […]
How to relieve nausea with acupressure
More than half of migraine sufferers have symptoms besides a headache. One of the most common is nausea or vomiting. In traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture is often used to relieve migraine and nausea. An effective acupuncture point for this is Neiguan or pericardium 6 (P6). This article describes how to relieve nausea with acupressure on […]
How acupuncture works – from a Western perspective
Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese system of medicine. With a documented history of effective use for over two thousand years. And a well-defined theory to describe and explain its use in Chinese medicine. But Chinese medicine theory, while fascinating, is very different to western ideas of anatomy and physiology. This article explains how acupuncture works […]
